History
The Revolution At eight o'clock on the 13th of May 12,018 HE the Parliament of Australia came under attack when [[Joshua Wright]] and forty armed rebels pretending to be a touring university group, stormed Parliament House. This was not the only attack, hundreds of other rebels were storming state parliaments and engaging military bases right around Australia. By ten o'clock the rebels had secured Parliament House in Canberra, as well as the state parliaments in Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania, they had also successfully occupied three military bases and continued to engage several other military bases. At eleven o'clock Channel 9 broke the media silence and reported on the rebel invasion of Parliament House, Channel 7, 10, ABC and SBS followed suit shortly after. The highest Commonwealth official not inside the Parliament during the occupation was an MP from rural New South Wales, as soon as he was told he was no in charge, he transferred power almost immediately to the Chief of the Defence Force Alex Henras. At twelve noon Joshua Wright broadcast from inside the House of Representatives, he addressed the citizens of Australia, telling them that the Commonwealth of Australia was no more, that its corruption and inability had come to an end and finally that the future of Australia was bright. An excerpt of the speech, the full speech can be found [[Revolutionary Speech|here]]. He concluded the speech with a request for the Australian Defence Force to surrender to Joshua Wirght, if they did not do so in one hour an MP would be executed. The Chief of the Defence Force refused and an hour later Joshua broadcast again, executing a politician that had sexually assaulted one of his staffers, an assault that had been covered up by the Prime Minister and various other politicians. The Chief of the Defence Force was given thirty additional minutes, during which he attempted to storm Parliament, resulting in casualties on both sides, retreating when Joshua threatened to execute a second MP in front of them, after they retreated he carried out the second execution. After the failed storming of parliament and two executions, the senior Generals unanimously decided to relieve the Chief of the Defence Force, cuffing him and bringing him into Parliament House. Joshua broadcast for a third and final time, this time the Prime Minister and Chief of the Defence Force were symbolically signing a document that dissolved the Commonwealth of Australia. Joshua Wright then declared the formation of the Australian Empire, and declared himself Emperor. For a short period of time after the revolution there was panic and outrage across Australia, but that would be quelled as Emperor Joshua announced and begun enacting sweeping changes that benefited all Australians. See: [[Australian Revolution]] Expansion of the Empire 12,019 - 12,025 One of Joshua Wrights promises during the revolution was that the Australian Empire was not expansionist, it did not seek to dominate the world. This was its promise to the US and China in particular, seeking to curtail an invasion and reassertion of Commonwealth authority. Alas the Australian Empire broke its promise in 12,019 expanding into New Zealand, in a conflict that lasted a day and without major casualties. Both the US and China did not consider this a threat and did not intervene. In a move often compared to Adolf Hitlers rearmament in 11,933 the Australian Empire revealed its massive armed forces that had been built up since the revolution and begun a campaign in South East Asia in 12,022. The campaign was divided into four offensives, the first saw the invasion and occupation of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, the second saw the invasion and occupation of Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei, the third saw the invasion and occupation of Thailand and Vietnam and finally the fourth saw the invasion and occupation of Cambodia, Lao and Myanmar, which brought the campaign to an end in 12,025. The aftermath of this invasion saw numerous armed resistance groups retreat into the remote terrain of South East Asia, at the same time the Terran Empire began a new campaign of infrastructure projects, eliminating poverty and establishing the new government. China entered into an alliance with the Terran Empire at the beginning of the conflict and no longer feared the Empires expansionism, but the US were still worried, not that they would lose sovereignty, but that the Terran Empire could pose a significant threat, depending on what the Empires goal was. The US chose to enter into a non-aggression pact and opened trade, though relations would be further strained as the Empire supported a revolution in the United Kingdom in 12,023 that reestablished monarchical rule and they too entered into an alliance with the Terran Empire. The Empire also (not publicly) supported a failed revolution in the US which, though the US could not prove it, their relations were further strained and all trade ceased. But the Empire did not only expand on Earth, preparations for the colonization of Luna and Mars were made right from the formation of the Empire, with the first fully fledged starship, the [[TSS Fortuna]], rolling off the production line in 12,023. But its commissioning ceremony was marred by catastrophe when the Democratic Earth Front destroyed the transport barge bound for Earth Orbital Station, where the Fortuna was docked and ready to launch. Eight people were killed, including the Director of the Terran Space Agency, the Captain of the Fortuna and several other ship and station personnel. The perpetrator, Kalib Masters, of the [[Launch Day Attack]] would become the first Terran citizen to be executed after being found guilty of eight counts of murder. Though slightly delayed, the TSS Fortuna made numerous trips to Luna in 12,024, transporting supplies, equipment and structures, finally colonizing Luna in 12,025. After the colonization of Luna, the TSS Fortuna set course for Mars and on the 3rd of April 12,025 the TSS Fortuna dropped supplies and equipment to the west of Arsia Mons, in the lead up to colonization at the end of the year. While the supplies were being dropped Captain Aaron Peterson and two of his crew took a barge down to Mars. When the barge landed Captain Peterson looked outside, he decided that he'd seen all he needed too, but his two accompanying crew convinced him to step outside and he became the first Terran to step foot on Mars, his first words, like those of Neil Armstrong, are immortalized but not for the same reasons. "''What a barren world, perfect for a colony''" In 12,023 the Netherlands left the European Union, they sought to form an alliance with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom suggested to the Terran Empire that they form the Terran Alliance to replace The Commonwealth which had all but been dissolved after the revolution, due to growing concerns that the United Kingdom would return to their colonial ways. The Terran Empire and the PRC agreed a larger alliance would be beneficial and alongside the Netherlands they formed the Terran Alliance in 12,024, at the same time it was revealed that the United Kingdom was a vassal of the Terran Empire and could therefore not become an independent member of the Alliance. See: [[Invasion of New Zealand]], [[South East Asian Campaign]], [[Chinese-Terran Alliance]], [[Launch Day Attack]], [[TSS Fortuna]], [[Luna]], [[British Revolution]] and [[Terran Alliance]]. Unification 12,026 - 12,032 In 12,026 the President of the United States, Natalie Rutherford, was assassinated by an anti-imperialist. She had been criticized for her willingness to engage in a dialogue with the Terran Empire, when much of the world still refused to recognize that the Terran Empire was a legitimate nation. When the Emperor told her that the Imperial Assembly had unanimously voted to unify Korea, President Rutherford had pledged the support of the United States military, with her assassination and the swearing in of he Vice-President, this support was revoked. The Emperor was eventually able to re-negotiate for logistical support only. On the 8th of February 12,027 the invasion of Korea was launched on two fronts, from the north by the PRC and the south by the Terran Empire and Republic of Korea. The Korean Reunification lasted a year and was the most decisive victory of the Terran Empire, proving to the world that the Terran Empire was a power to be reckoned with, and that the Empire wasn't just seeking to expand, rather they were seeking to eliminate threats and unify the dis-unified. The Terran Empire had used extraorbital corps, highly trained soldiers dropped from orbit in a drop pod into the combat zone, allowing them to secure strongholds and get behind enemy lines. It was this technology and the Chinese-Terran Alliance that proved vital in this victory. The Republic of Korea was given governance over the newly unified Korea, and after eight days they voted to become a territory of the Terran Empire. The USA protested at the decision made by the Korean government, the Korean governments response was simple, if you had helped unify us then maybe we wouldn't have joined the Empire, and thus the Terran US relations were further strained. At the same time that Korea was being unified the colony ship bound for Mars was launched, on the 5th of February 12,027, arriving in orbit of Mars on the 20th of June. During landing the rocket encountered a problem with one of its thrusters, they were able to repair it before landing but their velocity was still too high when they landed, crushing much of the bottom of the rocket. There were no injuries but they wouldn't be able to take off again, nonetheless in its first months the colony flourished. Meanwhile on Earth the Russian Federation had requested admission into the European Union, believing that in order to halt the expansion of the Terran Empire and restore faith in the EU, which had been lost after failing to come to Ireland's aid when it was invaded by the UK. In 12,028 it was granted, not just for military support but to prop up the EU's economy which had suffered greatly after the UK, Poland and the Netherlands had left. In a move that the EU should have anticipated, the Russian Federation [[Ukrainian Liberation|invaded the Ukraine]], the EU could not act for Russia was now a member of the EU and the combined military of every remaining EU nation would not be enough, thus it became known as the liberation of Ukraine. By 12,029 a second colony ship arrived in orbit of Mars, bringing much needed man power and supplies, and the first asteroid had been towed into orbit of the planet and mining operations had begun. The US colony continued to struggle, an economic collapse in the US resulted in the colony revival plan, which would see a new ship and hundreds of new colonists arrive wihth vital supplies, scrapped. The US colony was forced to survive on emergency rations, finally in 12,030 the one hundred and ten colonists voted unanimously to request asylum in the newly founded Imperial Territory of Mars. The Emperor himself was visiting the colony when the request for asylum was received and he immediately accepted it, greeting the colonists as they arrived. Back on Earth the US was outraged, the colonists were branded traitors, thanks to public outrage the US government considered declaring war on the Terran Empire, as they finally had a reason to crush the growing threat, but they had to admit the Terran military was a match for the US, and a drawn out conflict was something the US could not afford. When the Terran Empire had been formed the Olympics had continued normally, however the Terran Empire was barred from participating under its own flag, athletes still attended as independents. The Olympic committee decided, as the Empire expanded, that the Terran Empire would be allowed to participate in the next Olympics, allowing each territory to participate separately. As 12,032 grew closer the Olympic Committee could not find a host nation, the Emperor had made it clear multiple times that the Empire would be willing to host the Olympics. In 12,030, a two years before the Olympics were set to occur, the committee acquiesced and the Terran Empire prepared for the Olympics. In 12,031 the European Union invaded Gibraltar in an act of conflict that shocked the Empire. Only the Russian Federation had voted against the act of aggression, viewing Gibraltar as having no major strategic value. The British garrison held out for twenty days, until finally they were overwhelmed and forced to surrender. The British were treated terribly by the EU forces, suffering in prisoner of war camps for a year. On the 10th of January 12,032 Summer Olympics were held in the Imperial Territory of Vietnam, and they would be the last official Olympics to ever occur. The EU attempted a boycott of the Olympics, excluding Germany and France, all of its members attended the Olympics. The US and Russia compared the Ho Chi Min Olympics to that of the 11,936 Berlin Olympics, they believed the Emperor was trying to show off how well the Empire was doing, to prove the Empire's economy was flourishing. The US and Russia attempted to reveal the facade, but as much as they attempted to pick it apart they could not, they found aspects of Vietnam that hadn't changed, but they weren't enough to prove the Empire had had a negative effect on Vietnam. On the 25th of January 12,032 after the Olympics had closed and the nations had all gone home, the Terran Empire launched the Middle Eastern campaign alongside the People's Republic of China and its vassal state of the United Kingdom. The invasion begun in the Gulf of Oman, surprising the world as thousands of troops landed on the coast of Iran. The United Nations, the US and European Union were outraged and demanded unified action, but none could agree on how to act, and eventually the United Nations came to believe it was a necessary evil, to stabilize the instability. The campaign was a credit to Terran tactic and ingenuity, using the most advanced technology developed by the Empire, primarily the orbital drop pods employed by the Extraorbital corps, as well as orbital bombardment employed by the Terran Space Navy, not to mention the tactics of the Terran Navy, Army and Air Force. Iran was the most difficult offensive of the first as they were the most organised, but they were not the only target after eight months in Iran they opened a new front in Afghanistan, this was where the Extraorbital corps and Space Navy became vital to their success. By 12,033 Afghanistan was secure, and the fourth and final phase of the conflict, a march for the coast in order to secure Iraq and Syria.The final phase was the most difficult, Iranian military had fled across the border into Iraq, and alongside Iraqi soldiers and Syrian soldiers they begun to fight back against the invading forces. But the PRC and Terran Empire eventually regrouped and pushed through the Iraqi defences, and across the Syrian border where they faced little resistance. The remaining fighters had retreated to Aleppo, Homs and Damascus, By October of 12,033 the three cities were surrounded, there was no escape and the fighters inside knew it. Damascus would be the final hold out, the siege was only broken by the Extraorbital corps destroying the defences from the inside. With Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria secure, peace had been brought to the Middle East, and once again it was time to rebuild, reestablish a form of government and establish the new territories. Territory was ceded to Lebanon and Azerbaijan, while seven territories were formed from the former four, these are Afghanistan, Free Buluchistan. Iran, Arab Shia State, Free Kurdistan, Sunni Iraq and Syria. General Calm 12,033 - 12,038 With stability brought to the Middle East the Empire had a period of relative peace, though conflict around the world continued. The United Kingdom liberated Gibraltar from the EU in 12,034, reestablishing a military base, the EU was unprepared but they decided not to face off with the Empire due to the proximity of Imperial forces in the Middle East. In the same year Russia continues its expansion of territory by 'liberating' a neighbour, Belarus, and once again the EU chose not to respond. Fearing that they would be 'liberated' next, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania left the EU alongside Greece. Greece would then establish the Mediterranean Security Council, alongside Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. World Crisis 12,038 - 12,044